This invention relates to coin operated, automatic vending machines, and more particularly to locking devices for preventing unauthorized entry into such machines.
Coin operated vending machines are widely recognized as a convenient approach to marketing various products, for example soft drinks and other food items, along with video games, car washes and other services. Such machines can make products and services available on a twenty-four hour basis, without the need for an operator or other attendant. This reduces the vendor's marketing cost, and also makes such products and services available in areas considered too remote to justify the expense of other retail marketing approaches.
A serious disadvantage, particularly for vending machines left unattended for substantial amounts of time, is that the machines are subject to tampering and unauthorized entry and theft. This has given rise to the development of locking mechanisms designed to safeguard unattended vending machines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,708 to Gros granted Jan. 7, 1986 discloses a locking device for coin operated video games. The device includes a bar having a curved tongue at one end and a slot at the other. The tongue fits through notches provided in a receiving member, while the slot fits over an eye-bolt and is held in place with a padlock.
Another locking device for a video game is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,846 to Wichinsky granted June 26, 1984. An adjustable locking pin assembly is said to receive a locking lever, which pivots as a key rotates a barrel lock, thus to secure a flat seal bar across the door to the machine. Further locking devices, although not specifically related to vending machines, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,709 (Krugener) and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,961 (List).
A tamper resistant equipment housing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,371 to Jurek granted June 5, 1984 and assigned to the assignee of this application. A door of the housing is secured closed by a vertical slide bar directed through an opening at the top of the housing, a similar opening in a recessed housing at the bottom of the enclosure, and a pair of metal loops in the door. A padlock keeps the slide bar in place. This device and the others just discussed are satisfactory for certain applications, but there remains a need for a locking mechanism that is convenient to use yet virtually secure from unauthorized entry.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic vending device in which the working parts of the locking mechanism are recessed inside the housing.
Another object of the invention is to position the locking mechanism working parts so that they are not readily observed from outside of the housing.
Yet another object is to provide a vending machine locking mechanism utilizing a conventional key-operated locking cylinder, with means to protect the locking cylinder against damage or attempts to pick the lock.